On 26 July 2005 schrieb Evans wrote: > I don't know much, and figured the best way to learn linux is by having it. > Unfortunately, the installation looked like it only half succeeded. The gui > won't work, and it won't auto-config my network card (I'm often on a big > lan, and windows works). Of that I am certain, and other things might not > work either. I'm seeing a lot of "blabbedy blah failed to load" or similar > in the boot-up process. Unfortunately, I can't take screenshots to > troubleshoot, because I have to reboot to run windows, the OS where I can > get on the internet, and therefore any possible support. Any help would be > most appreciated. I'm sorry if I'm asking the wrong people, but I just > haven't seen any newbie faqs or mailing lists.
OK, I hope I understand you really. Your'e an absolute beginner on UNIX? That's what we talk about here. A good start is "Knoppix". It is based on Debian, runs directly from CD/DVD (4.0), _and_ per default you can't write to your disks (locally and network). Of course you can, but you must explicitly set this feature. It detects all your drives (even OS/2 ones!) and mounts them read only :-) (Every drive must be mounted on UNIX, before it can be used albeit nowadays auto mounter exists for special drives (like CD/DVDs, USB-sticks). Knoppix is of course delivered with _all_ autoloaders (I haven't 'til now not seen any PC, where it didn't boot to GUI. Sound-, printing- Internet-support after a really short and very simply configuration). You can install it later on a Partition on your hard disk and you have nearly a real Debian installation. It is not a real distribution (like Fedora/Red Hat or SUSE), because, when installing, you can't select any packages. It just installs all packages, which are also available in the CD-version... _ B U T _ it doesn't configure them, and, for the first time, you are (most probably) root, when you log in. In Knoppix (from CD) you mustn't log in (there are no passwords allowed). If you want to start programs for which you need root access, you must (in Knoppix) use the "sudo" command, e. g.: cfdisk ... "Error, only root may do this" sudo cfdisk [starts the interactive FDISK program of Linux, nearly as pretty as the OS/2-FDISK :-)] After you have installed it you have some problems (for me one of the greatest, was to get Internet access via ISDN, AFAIK). AND, if you have installed it, you most often want a printer ;-) You never have thought about it, as long as you have played (IMHO "flirting" would be better) with it. It is very good then, if you have a PostScript printer. I have had the luck to have one :-) But I have heard a lot of trouble, people have had with printers not supporting PostScript (you then normally have to use the GhostScrips program). Then, and only then, you can start using it. You can start, to figure out the excellent package management tools, to install _and_ deinstall (purge)"programs". You can even simply compile your favorite programs. For me it was the Sinclair Ql emulator of Richard Zidlicky (DUNNO if spelling is correct). "QL" is the Computer, Linus Torvalds have had used, before he bought the famous '386 on which he developed Linux (which doesn't have had a name at this time). The first Linux programs were two programs. I don't know exactly what they did, but principally the following scheme: progA PRINT A progB PRINT B Linus was absolutely happy, that this worked on a computer (at this time, 1991 or so) normally running with a MS-DOS operating system. Please note, it was not one program, which printed A and then B. It were two programs running at the same time, totally independent, one printing A, the other B. In QDOS (OS of the QL) such things were a "Klacks" (as on an Amiga which appeared one and a halve year later) but for a DOSe (nickname in German for PCs with DOS/Windows-Operating Systems) this was revolutionary(!). BTW: This is called Multitasking. Well try Knoppix, and see if you like UNIX (very, very good), Linux (meanwhile very, very good), BSD (even better, but difficult to find friends, who can help you). You have to learn a new operating system, but you should, before you learn it, know, if you like it. If you don't like it, don't learn it, but learn another operating system (Symbian, sounds similar to Debian :-), is very pretty, but is currently IMHO only available for mobile phones) or stay with Windows. In Martin F. Kraffts book "The Debian System" buy the version of "open source Press" it lays flat - there is one important sentence. I couldn't find it now, but it says: Debian will not be the most power full operating system in the world, but the most power full operating system for its users. (It isn't it currently for me, cause OS/2 is better, especially because of its WPS - grin) > Thanks > Dan If you are really a real Newbie, I hope, this would have helped you. > -- > To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] This list is meanwhile also available via Usenet linux.debian.user (ldu) Thank you! Peter -- peter_sulzer doesn't like spam and this is my domain: t-online.de
